By JOHN EDWARDS
Police have made an arrest 24 hours after launching an investigation into an alleged racist gesture towards West Brom striker Romelu Lukaku at the Stadium of Light.
Northumbria Police confirmed a 21-year old man was in custody after being arrested on suspicion of racially or religiously aggravated intentional harassment.
He is being interviewed, pending possible charges, following an incident that cast a further shadow over football’s image in a season that has lurched from one controversy to another.
After scoring his side’s third goal, in a 4-2 win over Sunderland on Saturday, on-loan Chelsea marksman Lukaku was photographed celebrating against a backdrop of a fan appearing to make a monkey gesture at him.
It caused an immediate outcry, with Northumbria Police swiftly beginning the task of identifying the fan and Sunderland making it clear they were ready to co-operate fully with the authorities’ investigation.
Sunderland are understood to have been informed of the arrest and are waiting to hear whether charges will follow before commenting.
They stressed after the incident, however, that they employ a policy of zero tolerance towards any instance of racist or anti-social behaviour and are ready to implement a ban, if anyone is found guilty of abusing Lukaku.
It is the latest unsavoury episode to blight English football and came on the same weekend as West Ham followers were accused of taunting Tottenham fans with anti-Semitic chants at White Hart Lane.
As Sunderland chiefs consider their next step, they were urged to take stringent action by Ged Grebby, of Show Racism the Red Card, who said: ‘This sort of gesture at football matches was something we never thought we would see again.
‘When people do these sort of things, you have to take action against them. If anyone is found guilty, we will be asking the club to ban them. It could be a three-year ban.’
